randomplaces | TF'verse. Nellis AF base. Sound and Frenzy

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notta beater 'verse

TF'verse. Nellis AF base. Sound and Frenzy

Arcee walked into the rec. room, sighing as she sat down and closing her optics as she relaxed into the smaller of the Transformer sized couches, mentally rebuilding after her trip to the Nexus.

There was a startled movement, and a robot about her own size turned his masked and visored face toward her from where he sat on the other end of the couch. He was brightly coloured with predominantly red and blue, and his body bore the marks of old burn scars... and a Decepticon logo.

Arcee started, drawing her crossbow instinctively before she paused, remembering something Bumblebee had said.

"Er... Soundwave?" she guessed.

He nodded once, most of his body held in wary stillness though his hand never paused in its absent rubbing of the ears of the mechanoid bobcat curled at his side. A mechanoid bobcat who was purring loudly.

"Right..." Arcee frowned, putting away her bow. "Sorry about that. Instinct and all that."

"Understood." His voice was mechanical and emotionless as he studied her. "You are Arcee."

"That's right," she said, tiling her head and scanning him, then the cat. "Who's your friend?

"Ravage." He spoke the name of the mech that Bumblebee had mentioned being one of his two remaining creations. The cat gave a soft churring sound at his name and lifted his head to look toward the pink femme with friendly indifference.

"Right. Nice to meet you both," Arcee said, thinking this over for a minute and then shrugging. "You lot staying here?"

He nodded again, his hand stilling on Ravage's head and smoothing along the little mech's side, which also bore traces of old scars. "You have met Frenzy's creations."

Despite the monotone of his voice, and the impassiveness of his face, there was a trace of... something... to the question. The longing of a parent who had thought his children long lost and forgotten who comes to find that perhaps he was wrong.

She nodded, slowly. "Yes. I went with Jazz to scout out the sewers. Us and Roach." She blinked, the leaned back. "Have you spoken with Frenzy lately?"

"Not yet. Conditions unfavorable." He absently tugged on one of Ravage's ears.

"That they are," she sighed.

Soundwave tilted his head and clarified. "Unfavorable to contact. Municipal sewer repair was taking place."

"Oh. So the humans kept you from getting to him?"

"Prime said to wait." He let go of Ravage as the latter got up and padded over to investigate Arcee, once more making his funny churring sound.

Arcee held out a hand, smiling at him comfortingly. Then she shrugged as the mech cat nibbled on her fingers. "Well, Prime's usually got good instinct about that kind of thing."

Another nod as he watched his creation play with her hand and purr. "Construction finished yesterday."

Arcee nodded and smiled at the cat, playing with him as much as he liked. "Then maybe you can go talk to him soon."

"Today." A glance toward noisy Bumblebee and Jazz sounds from the elevator, and then he turned back to the pink femme. "Will you accompany me?"

"Well... alright," she said, a bit surprised. "Of course, I'd be happy to."

She chuckled, then nodded and made the "zipped lips" motion.

Soundwave didn't understand the reference yet, but he could tell that she was agreeing with his request. "Good." A pause. "I have notified Prime."

"Right," she said, getting up slowly and scratching the Ravage behind the ears.

* * *

The sewers smelled just as bad as they had the last time she was down here, but Soundwave seemed not to notice as he looked around the empy tunnel. Ravage perked his ears curiously from where he stood on his creator's shoulders.

Arcee ground her mouth plates, waiting to see the tiny people again and half expecting to be jumped at any moment.

"No Cybertronian life signs detected." Soundwave's flat voice broke the silence suddenly.

"They might've cleared out to the older part of the tunnels when the workers came in," Arcee said, looking around at the signs of recent activity.

The colourful mech nodded absently, silently transmitting a call over one of the special channels that only he and his symbionts had used.

Arcee frowned and knelt, examining some recently repaired pipes to one side.

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"This is where you met them," he confirms, still scanning.

"Yeah. There are still scorch marks from the ambush," she remarked, looking around. "But it seems they've retreated further into the sewers, like we'd thought."

"Are you comfortable going deeper?" He lifts his arm and watches Ravage fold away from his armor and leap down the tunnel to vanish around a corner.

"Trust me, I've been in worse. Let's go," she nodded and went to follow the cat mech.

He puts a hand on her shoulder. "I'll lead."

She bit back the urge to cringe at the Con's touch, then nodded once and stepped back.

"Right."

He picks up her discomfort and gives her an absent look of concern as he steps past her, but his mind is too much on finding his creation and actually speaking to him after so long of thinking the little slagger was dead for him to be able to focus on much else right now.

The journey is silent, therefor, but for the occasional ping of wiring and drip of water. There aren't even any rats to scurry and squeak.

She went along behind him, looking around and feeling uneasy. This really was too quiet for human sewer tunnels. Either Frenzy's miniature army had driven all of the normal activity out, or something else was going on.

Arcee really, really hoped that it wasn't the latter.

//Hey... Forge?// she privately commed out to her husband, needing to hear something to ease her nerves. Otherwise she'd start blowing miniscule data out of proportion.

//Hmmm?// comes his deeep soft rumble in reply. //What's up, sweetheart?//

//I was told to be quiet and I had to talk to somebody,// she smiled absently, still stealthing behind the Con. //Guess I just needed to hear your voice, too.//

//Frenzy takin' exception ta ya agin?// She can nearly feel the frown in the words.

//Change channel. Frenzy will be able to tap this one,// Soundwave's voice butts in softly though as toneless as ever.

Arcee blinked, then switched the the channel only she and her family had access to.

//I get the impression Soundwave doesn't like me much. But yeah, he asked me to come with him to talk to Frenzy. I'm not sure why....//

//I kinda git the impression he don't like nobody much, sweetheart. 'Cept maybe Jazz 'n that critter of his.//

Soundwave's hand suddenly closes on her shoulder as he stops and looks alertly toward a gap in a wall. Arcee won't be able to read anything from it, but the colourful 'Con evidently does.

Arcee stopped abruptly and tensed, crouching and going back into high alert.

//Looks like we're here. I have to go, babe. Love you,// she murmured, glancing at Soundwave and waiting for a sign.

///Shhhh,// Soundwave tells her as Forge sends back his love and signs off. Every line of his body is tense as he sends coded transmissions toward the brief ping he'd felt. Ravage too, is still, looking more like a cat statue than a living mech.

And then Soundwave's moving again, his movements brisk and hurried as he lets go of Arcee and slips around her to continue down the tunnel.

Arcee frowned, but followed slowly, careful not to make a sound as she went after the Con.

It's a journey of several minutes and many twists and turns. Soundwave is intent and silent throughout, but Arcee might be able to see the tension growing in him.

She frowned, then hung back slightly, looking over her shoulder occasionally as if expecting some other Con to drop down and ambush her from behind.

And then he stops as they enter a largish, rather well-lit room, the tension melting away as he sees who's sitting at the back of it staring at him with shock.

Arcee stopped abruptly, scanning the room before squatting, making herself comfortable but alert to watch the proceedings.

Frenzy scowls at her from where he's sitting in an old arm chair with his arm around a slender matt black femme with blank blue optics, then turns back to Soundwave. "(You're with an Autobot.)"

"(Yes,)" says his creator impassively. "(The Autobots are my allies now. The war's over.)"

Frenzy's scowl deepens.

"(Who is the female?)" demands Soundwave.

The little silver 'Con's grip tightens. "(My mate, Blurr.)"

"(Mate....)" Soundwave starts. "(So that's how you created the others.)"

"Duh," mutters Frenzy in English, then flinches as his creator's fist clenches.

Arcee didn't move. Full on watch mode meant she might as well be marble, she made no sound or sign of life as she recorded everything that was going on.

A femme. A little black Con femme, who was Frenzy's mate? It was hard to picture, but there she was....

Soundwave looks around at the shy blue and red optics that peek at him from various places around the room. "(What are you doing, Frenzy? I taught you better. Sparks should not be created only to be extinguished.)"

"(I create them to LIVE!)" the smaller Decepticon lets go his mate to jump up on the arm of the chair, his fists clenched as he trembles. "(And now that I have allies they WILL live! No one will be able to laugh at them anymore!)"

"(Calm yourself,)" says Soundwave shortly. "(Who are these allies?)"

Frenzy looks distrustfully toward Arcee, but then starts and turns his attention back toward his creator as Soundwave takes a step forward.

"(Don't concern yourself with Arcee,)" says the larger 'Con firmly. "(She is my ally.)"

Frenzy trembles again, but then bows his head. "(Do you know about the Nexus?)"

"(Yes.)"

Cons... frag, he hasn't gone and found more of them, has he? Arcee thought, staring at him, though she never broke her stance or silence. She knew better than to assume she had a part in this conversation.

"(They're called the Stardroids. One of them created a new spark with my first created, and now they help us with supplies and materials. And there is Tradeoff.)" Frenzy's four optics go toward where a pop machine is sitting and humming to itself quietly. The little femme that Arcee first met is sitting on top of it, her crossed optics wary and watchful as they focus on Soundwave.

That mech looks at his creation thoughtfully, then tells Ravage to show his brother what he thinks of Arcee.

Bob tail jerking, the feline mech turns and walks over to sit as close to on her foot that he can get. Mine.

Edited 2008-04-28 17:27 (UTC)

Arcee couldn't help it. She half grinned and then put a hand on Ravage's shoulder, clearly returning the sentiment as a gesture of thanks. And defiance towards Frenzy's obvious contempt.

The mad little mech regards her soberly, knowing that this is the reply to his words. And that he'll obey the implied command.

Still serious, he turns his optics back to Soundwave, jumping back down into the chair as Blurr turns her head to look for him and gently smoothing her back. "(You're all that's left?)"

"(As far as I know.)" Soundwave seems impassive, but Frenzy can read the emotion in his posture and voice. "(But we're more than you thought there was.)"

"(Yes.)" Frenzy sniggers. "(Yes!)"

The two fall silent then as they switch to a private com channel, and then Soundwave walks over to pick up Screwloose where the little 'Con is sitting and washing his face to one side. Tucking his grandson in the crook of his arm, the music bot turns and walks back to Arcee. "Time to return."

Ravage nibbles her fingers, then gets up to follow, shooting a playfully challenging look at Frenzy, who razzes him with gusto.

Arcee nodded and stood easily, nodding politely to Frenzy and his femme before following Soundwave out.

They're back at the entrance before Soundwave stops to look at her, his expression as inscrutable as ever.

"Go as well as you'd hoped?" she said, scanning behind them to make sure they hadn't been followed.

He looks at her a little longer before turning his attention upward to the manhole. "I had no hopes. Passage of time too great for logical assumption of resumption of relationship."

"Alright. Well, did you work anything out with him? I mean, you guys seemed to end on peaceful terms," she said.

Soundwave nods for her to proceed him upward. "Affirmative."

"That's good. I'm glad you got to talk to him," she said, jumping up and transforming into her alt mode before giving him the all clear.

He waits for Ravage to meld into his armor, then cloaks himself with hologram so that it seems to be a tall, lanky human being who slips from the sewer and gets onto the pink bike, the little bug 'Con still tucked safely in the crook of one arm.

Arcee turned and moved slowly, then took off for the base again.

//Are you going to report to Prime?// she asked.

He pings absent assent, steering her out of town, but not in the direction of the base.

Arcee frowned.

//Where are we going?//

//You're safe,// he replies shortly.

Arcee didn't know what to make of this, but she didn't argue. If the Con was going to play games she would humor him. She was sure whatever happened she didn't have to worry about him double-crossing her.

Their journey finally ends on an overlook on the other side of town from the base. Soundwave gently puts down her stand, then turns and walks to the edge of the cliff, one hand absently stroking Screwloose as he stares out over the dry countryside.

There's a lot going through his mind. Thoughts of his creations, both those here on Earth, and those on the other side of the Veil. Thoughts of Frenzy's creations. And of Wingnut's creation, who Frenzy says looks human and who lives there in the Nexus with her male creator.

-Two generations of Transformers who will never see Cybertron,- he thinks, his gaze going upward.

Through all these thoughts he is aware of Arcee; of the reminder that the war is over and he is once more among friends, though it she reminds also him of another who isn't here.

-Wisp... I miss you.-

Edited 2008-04-28 21:58 (UTC)

Arcee frowned slightly at the mech, realizing he needed time to reflect. Slowly transforming she quietly went down the hill to sit herself, still within easy calling range, but far enough way so that she could sit and look up at the sky herself without feeling like she was intruding.

He stands there for some time, but then a plaintive beep from the little mech in his arms breaks him from his revery. A glance down shows him pleading optics and nibbling mouth plates in search of energy, so he turns his head to see where Arcee has gone.

Arcee had drawn out of her own line of thought, and turning she transformed and rode up to the hill.

//He need to get back to the base for care?// she frowned.

//He's hungry. And I'm keeping you from your creations.//

Day was waning. Ratchet had probably let them go by now.

//Alright. Climb on,// she said, still speaking gently.

He nods and does so, carefully tucking Screwloose into his storage compartment so that he could use both hands on the handlebars. His grandson barely fits, but obligingly presses his legs close to his blocky body and beeps softly.

Smiling slightly, he looks up and turns their faces homeward.

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TF'verse. Nellis AF base. Sound and Frenzy

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